A Swift Misinterpretation
by xKROWEx
Summary: Wally's boredom leads him to find a quote that will help appease Kaldur and Artemis and make peace within the team. However, he takes the saying at face value, not realizing what it really means. Don't call Robin a nerd, you might end up dead.


A/N: I am extremely astounded at how many people -liked- my other story. So... I decided to make a collection of One-Shots based on Quotes. Here's the first/second. Maybe a tiny hint towards Wally/Artemis? Or just a hate-hate hint. ^-^ No slash. This one is more.. humorous. I'm trying my hand at different "genres". (: Not happy with the beginning... oh well. Hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: Clearly, I don't own Young Justice. Don't come after me with your torches and pitchforks, please? :D

P.s. Italics are thoughts and/or flashback. There's a huge section of Italics at one point, that's the flashback. If this bothers anyone, I can change it.

* * *

Boredom and Wally West didn't mix. The two were like water and oil, insoluble substances that absolutely could not find a happy medium. So school for the redhead was just six hours of pure torture. Sitting there and listening to the teachers drone on and on in monotone voices. It was absolute hell. He wasn't the only one that thought so, judging by the multitude of students who had fallen asleep on their desks, mouths hanging open and short snores being emitted from around the classroom every now and then. Sometimes the sleepers would even provide a bit of entertainment. If they were far enough back in the class, and had their head in their hands, one could reach over and knock one of their arms to the side, resulting in the sleeper's head falling and smacking into the desk. Unfortunately, these opportunities were few and far between. For Wally, sleeping in class was risky business. If he fell asleep in the same manner, and someone pulled the same stunt, there was nothing stopping him from jumping up inhumanly fast, racing across the room, and slamming into a wall. It definitely would not be easily to explain, if not impossible. Without a doubt, his cover would be blown. However, that was the worst case scenario, and rarely found it's way into the redhead's bored mind.

Luckily, he sat far enough back in class that he could pretend to pay attention, and generally lay his head down to catch a few winks of sleep. Today, however, was not any normal day in Wally's English class. Today, they were starting a project, and it included searching the Internet for satirists and their works.

Wally sat at a computer with his head resting in one hand, the other scrolling through the web page he was looking at. His eyes glazed over at the names filling the page, but the haze cleared as he caught sight of a name that caught his interest. _Jonathan Swift_. Curiosity piqued, the redhead clicked the name and began reading the man's biography, eyes roving the page for something that had to do with speed, or running, or anything that wasn't _English_ related. The redhead let out a quiet groan as he saw no signs of the man having any super-speed, continuing to scroll down the page as the English teacher roved through the rows of the computer lab.

Finally, at the bottom of the page, Wally found something that could be categorized as 'interesting' if he squinted. Quotes. '_Better than looking through boring facts about dead people,'_ he thought solemnly, skimming each of the quotes on the page. However, before long, Wally found himself actually enjoying the critical comments that the writer had made, and had come across a single quote that made quite an impression. Project long forgotten, the redhead took out a piece of paper and wrote down the quote, grinning to himself as he held it up. Besides, Kaldur had talked to the team the day before about all getting along, and it was clear to Young Justice that his admonishments were directed at two particular members...

* * *

_-flashback-_

_The team looked at each other confused; confused as to why Kaldur had called them to assemble for a meeting. That wasn't the oddest thing, though. The oddest thing, was that they were given no specific instructions to wear their superhero outfits, and.. the fact that the meeting place was the living room couch. _

_"All right," Kaldur began, standing in front of the rest with his arms crossed over his chest. "Can anyone tell me their definition of the word 'team'?" _

_The heroes looked at each other wise raised eyebrows, wondering who was the prankster that decided to spike their leader's drink. Robin raised his hand warily, eyes hidden behind sunglasses._

_"A small group of people dedicated to working together to achieve a common goal?" He said, ending the answer with a question, still not completely sure as to what was going on._

_"Very good. Let's focus on the key word here: _together._" Kaldur finished, looking at each of the heroes assembled before him. _

_"When did Kaldur take the job of a teacher?" Megan whispered to Superboy, who answered her with a curious glance and a shrug._

_"Most of us work well together, and we've been growing as a team, and as a collective unit. However, there still seems to be hostility about a few subjects..." the Atlantean said, taking a deep breath before he launched himself into _really _hot water. _

_"Such as...Roy." Kaldur stopped for a moment to let the words sink in, and glance at two people in particular, Wally and Artemis, who now had their glares locked on each other. One could feel the tension amounting in the room, and the team scooted farther away from Wally and Artemis just in time, as the speedster and archer stood up and exploded into a shouting fit. _

_"WE'RE NOT HOSTILE! SHE JUST TOOK HIS PLACE! DON'T BLAME ME! SHE'S IMPOSSIBLE TO GET ALONG WITH!" _

_"YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY INSANE! HE CHOSE TO RUN OFF ON HIS OWN! GREEN ARROW _CHOSE ME_ AFTER SPEEDY DITCHED HIM!__"_

_"THAT'S _RED ARROW _TO YOU!"__  
_

_Robin slouched into the couch cushion as the two continued to yell at each other and showed no sign of stopping, "This is definitely a disaster... Heavy on the 'dis,'" he muttered, earning a nod from Superboy. Kaldur allowed the two about ten seconds to burn off steam, and then he shouted for quiet. The room instantly hushed, however Wally and Artemis were still standing, glaring daggers._

_"Sit," the Atlantean ordered, as the two obeyed and sat back on the couch, arms crossed. "Anyway, whatever reason Roy had for leaving, it is not our business. I suggest we put the past behind us, and move into the present. And that means, setting aside petty squabbles, so we may work as a team." _

_At this, the speedster and archer just shot each other a glare, and looked back to Kaldur, the rage in their eyes slowly fading. _

_"Are we clear?" A chorus of affirmatives went up around the room, and the Atlantean allowed himself a small smile, looking forward to peace in the team.  
_

_

* * *

_

Wally was snapped out of his thoughts as the bell loudly signaled the end of the day. A grin lit up his face as he hoisted his backpack over his shoulder, and headed out of the school with the sea of teenagers. He turned into a back alley, pulled out his goggles, and checked to make sure no one was around before he shot off towards Mount Justice, letting out a loud whoop of happiness as the wind whistled through his red hair.

Wally casually walked through the door as the computer loudly announced his arrival, looking around to locate his team. He rose an eyebrow and listened to the soft silence that stretched throughout the mountain. Silences were rare as it was, but with a group of six teenagers, there was always _at least _sounds of a loud video game, or a small squabble.

"Hello?" he shouted, pulling out the piece of paper from earlier and tossing his backpack to the side. "Anyone home?" The redhead walked into the living room where he noticed Robin sitting precariously on the arm of the couch, furiously typing away at his laptop.

"Hey Rob! Where _is _everyone?" Wally sped over to his friend, blinking confusedly as he looked at the contents on the screen. There was nothing but a large mass of numbers and letters, and the speedster couldn't make heads nor tails of it. "What... the heck... is that?"

"Artemis is making food, I think. Kaldur is out stopping some bad dude with Aquaman, and Megan is taking the day off to spend with her uncle. And I never know where Superboy is, so... you can find him yourself," Robin answered, still tapping at the keys of his keyboard, sunglass-hidden eyes focused completely on the brightly-lit screen. "Oh, and this is code. Computer language. I'm trying to find that space station Roy told us about."

With a noncommittal sound, Wally turned towards the kitchen, hands nervously fluttering the paper with the phrase that would hopefully make peace. He walked slowly into the kitchen, a feat in itself. He was not trying to bring about the confrontation any sooner than it had to be, and the few extra seconds it took to walk, was worth it. He leaned against the kitchen counter, and after a deep breath to steady his nerves, he coughed to get the archer's attention.

"What?" Artemis asked, turning around sharply and closing the refrigerator door.

"There's no need to be so hostile," Wally murmured, green eyes glancing to the floor. "I'm here to make peace... I guess."

"Oh really?"

"Uh-huh. Kaldur seemed to be pretty pissed and... I suppose he's right about the whole team thing. Don't you find it kind of sad that a _thirteen year-old _gets along better with everyone than we do?

"Not really. You're the only one I don't get along with." Artemis replied haughtily, glaring at the redhead.

"Well... whatever. So..." The redhead smiled sheepishly and walked forward. Without any warning, he kicked the archer directly in the shin, eliciting a sharp yelp of pain. "We good?" the redhead asked with the same smile.

"Have you _lost _it? You are _so _dead!" Artemis shouted, grabbing the bow and an arrow from her back, aiming it directly at Wally. Green eyes widened considerably, confronted with a very explosive-looking arrow, very near his face.

"I'm just trying to live together at a reasonably good understanding!" Wally yelped, whisking out of sight as an arrow passed right where he had been standing less than a second before. With a growl, the archer let loose another arrow at the doorway, where the speedster just managed to escape through.

"Get back here!" she shouted, running out of the kitchen with another arrow ready to shoot at the teenager that had effectively pissed her off.

"NO!" the blur shouted as it rushed past the living room, almost knocking Robin off of his precarious perch on the arm of the couch. The thirteen year-old blinked curiously behind the dark sunglasses, a sigh escaping his lips as the blond archer rushed past, murder written on her face.

"What did you _do _Wally?" the Boy Wonder shouted, jacket rustling as the said-teenager rushed past yet again, trying to find some way to get as far away as possible from the murderous archer.

"I just followed the advice of a quote I found on the Internet!" shouted the disembodied voice. Robin let out a loud sigh. _'Why am I always the one stuck in the middle of these things?' _he thought.

A piece of paper smacked him in the middle of the face, successfully interrupting his thoughts as Wally ran past again. The Boy Wonder read the quote on the piece of paper, and nearly fell off the couch laughing. "You followed advice from _Jonathan Swift? _He's a satirist for goodness sakes!" he shouted, surprised when the redheaded teenager stopped short in front of him with a confused look on his face.

"Satirist?"

"Someone who writes satire... A sarcastic type of writing?" Robin answered, ducking as Wally leaped over him to avoid the arrow. Instead, it embedded itself in the side of the couch's arm, from where the Boy Wonder plucked it out and examined it with a smirk on his face. "You really should keep running. I suggest out the door. You'll glued to the spot if you get hit with one of these."

"She's got the door blocked with exploding motion-sensing-Wall-man-destroying arrows." the redhead frowned, and then shot the younger teenager a confused look. "Why would I be stuck?"

Robin explained, "Remember the polyurethane foam arrows Roy used? I'm pretty sure this is about the same thing."

"She's ripping off his weapons now?" Wally shouted angrily, "Come _on! _That is _so _low!"

"Dude, you're the one hiding behind a couch." Robin snickered, tossing the arrow at him.

This effectively sent the speedster standing and shooting in the opposite direction, nearly crashing into the archer as they both used the same doorway. The Boy Wonder held up his hands in a gesture of surrender at the glare Artemis shot him. He didn't want to get any father into this war than he already was.

"By the way. Why on Earth would I know what a satirist is?" Wally said as he again dashed past the central room. "You're such a _nerd._"

At this, Robin's eyes narrowed and his lips pressed together in a line. "Well, this _nerd _is now going to help Artemis kill you. Hey! Artemis! He's in the living room!" He shouted, devilish grin spreading quickly across his masked face. The young teenager caught a glimpse of the scathing glare Wally sent him as he raced past, going to find refuge in another room. Just then, the computerized voice announced the arrival of Aqualad. At this, Robin jumped up with a loud cry of "No!", but it was too late. The arrows around the door beeped angrily and exploded, hiding the incoming teenager from view with a large cloud of smoke. Wally West skidded to a stop near Robin as Artemis ran into the room, triumph quickly leaving her features as she saw the redhead standing by the younger teenager. If Wally was there... who tripped the motion sensors?

Kaldur stumbled into the room, hand covering his eyes and coughing, as the other three occupants stood absolutely still, horror etched onto their faces. The smoke quickly cleared, and the team leader looked evenly at the three of them, clearly wanting an explanation.

"That idiot kicked me." Artemis said sharply, placing her bow over her back and pointing at Wally. The accused simply glared at the archer, then sent an apologetic smile to the very annoyed Kaldur.

"Dare I ask _why?_" Kaldur asked, looking towards Robin for a reasonable, un-biased explanation. Robin walked forward and handed the piece of paper to Kaldur with a smirk, just barely hiding his laughter. The leader raised an eyebrow after he read the quote, understanding only how the "kick" part made any sense to this situation.

"Well... I found it on the Internet, and I thought I'd take the advice and attempt to make peace with the girl who is now trying to _kill me._"

Kaldur simply sighed, a small smile beginning to form on his face. He handed the paper to the seething Artemis, and after she read it, she raised an eyebrow.

"Thank you for trying, Wally." the Atlantean said. "Though next time, don't take things you find on the Internet at face value."

Robin crossed his arms and smirked as the team leader looked towards him. "Hey, I was trying to be the mediator here. Flash Boy almost crushed my laptop, anyway. Besides, I think I'll stay out of this war."

"Mediator?" Wally said in disbelief, "you totally tried to help her kill me!"

Robin just snickered quietly, "That's _after _you personally insulted me, but hey, if being a nerd means knowing _not _to take quotes from satirists seriously, then by all means, call me one."

The Boy Wonder earned a sharp glare from the redhead, but paid no mind. Instead, he just returned back to his perch on the couch, and began clicking away on the keys of the laptop, smiling softly.

At a look from Kaldur, Wally sighed, "yeah, yeah, I'll apologize." But as soon as the Atlanetean turned away, Wally smirked and added, "sometime."

The piece of paper with the offending quote flitted out of Kaldur's hands and drifted, forgotten onto the floor. The troublesome quote lay facing the ceiling as things in Mount Justice returned to their relatively normal state. It read:

_"Once kick the world, and the world and you will live together at a reasonably good understanding.**  
Jonathan Swift"**_

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A/N: We're going to assume that there's a couch near the "doors", all right? :D I honestly have no idea what the set-up of the mountain is. Maybe we'll get to see more of it in later episodes. Sorry for there not being any Megan or Superboy in here.. they just didn't fit. I see Kaldur as sort of... a father figure to the group when none of the mentors are around. So, there you have it. Definitely different from my other story, but I hope you liked it! I'll be making a collection of different one-shot stories based on quotes! Feel free to leave reviews, author alert, etc! Hope you enjoyed!


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